Lesson Plan Materials on Origins of the Cold War

Lesson Plan on Origins of the Cold War

Tara Byard

Number of class periods: Six 45 min class periods

West Virginia Next Generations Social Studies Standards:

History Cluster 5: Demonstrate an understanding of the competing ideologies of communism and

democracy, and the conflict between the United States and Soviet Union superpowers in post World War II

era through early 1990¡¯s.

SS.11.H.CL5.3

SS.11.E.7

SS.1112.L.1

SS.1112.L.2

SS.1112.L.3

SS.1112.L.6

SS.1112.L.11

explore the motivation and legacy of the Truman Doctrine and

containment policy through different presidential administrations.

critique the competing ideologies of various economic systems (e.g.,

Capitalism, Socialism and Communism) and resulting world conflicts.

cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary

sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of

the text as a whole.

determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source;

provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key

details and ideas.

evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which

explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text

leaves matters uncertain.

evaluate authors¡¯ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by

assessing the authors¡¯ claims, reasoning, and evidence.

write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

Materials needed: Smart Board, Computer, Microsoft Office PowerPoint, classroom handouts of the

following: Vocabulary assignment, George Kennan¡¯s Long Telegram, Nikolai Novikov¡¯s Telegram,

Telegram activity questions, pencils, highlighters, chalk/chalkboard.

Procedure:

1. Day 1: Hand out vocabulary assignment of Cold War Origins terminology. Students will have

one class period to work on the assignment.

2. Day 2©\3: Take notes on the Origins of the Cold War. Use Power Point that covers historical

interpretations of the origins of the Cold War, step©\by©\step outline of how the Cold War came

into existence, and then background study of the two primary documents the students will be

studying for the emergence of the Cold War

3. Day 4: Students will read the excerpts from the Long Telegram by George Kennan.

a. After reading the document, underlining, highlighting or circling key points, students will

get questions to answer about the document.

b. Students will be given time to answer questions independently.,

c. After students are finished answering questions, they will gather in groups of two or

three and share with their classmates their answers and make any adjustments to their

answers they feel are necessary.

d. As a class, we will share out what each other the answers that we have written.

4. Day 5: Students will read the excerpts from the Novikov Telegram by Nikolai Novikov.

a. After reading the document, underlining, highlighting or circling key points, students will

get questions to answer about the document.

b. Students will be given time to answer questions independently.,

c. After students are finished answering questions, they will gather in groups of two or

three and share with their classmates their answers and make any adjustments to their

answers they feel are necessary.

d. As a class, we will share out what each other the answers that we have written.

5. Day 6: Students will have a formal assessment on the origins of the Cold War. It will be based

upon the vocabulary activity, the Power Point notes, and the two primary document activities.

Long Telegram Activity

Name:____________________

Kennan¡¯s Long Telegram

After closely reading the Long Telegram, thoughtfully answer the following questions. You must use

specific evidence from the documents to back up your answer. Write in complete sentences.

1. What is the main idea in the telegram?

2. Why did Marxism take hold in the USSR?

3. Why did the Soviet leaders use communist doctrine to rule over their people?

4. Pick one sentence that summarizes the whole document and the reason for Kennan¡¯s

belief in containment of the USSR.

5. What historiographical interpretation does Kennan¡¯s view fit into?

The Novikov Telegram

1. According to Novkiov, what drives American FP?

2. Because of the destruction of Europe during WWII, what position is the USSR left to fill?

3. What evidence does he provide to back up his belief that the US is trying to attain global

domination?

4. What historiographical interpretation does Novikov fit into?

Long Telegram Activity

George Kennan¡¯s Long Telegram

1. What is the main idea in the telegram? The USSR is riddled with fear, insecurity,

paranoia and are afraid of the West. The leaders are scared. Afraid if people come into

contact with the west, the people will overthrow them.

2. Why did Marxism take hold in the USSR? They are not really communists, they a czars. ¡­

next in a long line of dictators who will exploit their people. Gives them control, keeps

people under them, it was an excuse to keep them protected from the West, guarantees

an enemy of the people, the West and capitalism.

3. Why did the Soviet leaders use communist doctrine to rule over their people? Gives

them control, keeps people under them, it was an excuse to keep them protected from

the West, guarantees an enemy of the people, the West and capitalism.

4. Pick one sentence that summarizes the whole document and the reason for Kennan¡¯s

belief in containment of the USSR.

? It is the fig leaf of their moral and intellectual respectability.

? If they associated with the west, then it would destroy the basis of their rule.

¡°Fig leaf¡±= they cannot associate with capitalists because it would debunk the

¡°fig leaf¡± of their communist ideology, the fact that they are hiding dictatorships

and repression behind a faux belief in communism.

? Instead, Kennan said the US should try to contain the Soviet Union

5. What historiographical interpretation does Kennan¡¯s view fit into? Orthodox nationalist

interpretation

Novikov Telegram

1. What drives American FP?©\ Imperialistic capitalism.

2. Because of the destruction of Europe during WWII, what position is the USSR left to fill?

America expected that WWII would decimate Europe and the US should come in and take over

the world. But the Soviets are still around. The Soviets are in a defensive position as the only

power left to stand up to the US.

3. What evidence does he provide? Evidence©\ first peace time draft, military bases, quests for oil

and expanding into middle east, military budget, Asia, India; the bomb.

4. What historiographical interpretation does Novikov fit into? Novikov gives the revisionist view,

Note: put both Kennan¡¯s view and Novikov together, you get post©\revisionist.

Origins of the Cold War Vocabulary Activity

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Cold War

Historiography

Nationalist School

Revisionist School

Realist School

Post©\Revisionist School

Joseph Stalin

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Harry S. Truman

Czar Nicholas II

Rasputin

Alexander Kerensky

White Russians

Red Russians

World War II

Operation Barbarrossa

Winston Churchill

Second Front

Lend Lease aid (to Russia)

Baruch Plan

Truman Doctrine

Marshall Plan

George Marshall

Dean Acheson

Chinese Civil War

Sun Yatsen

Chinese Nationalist Party

Shanghai Massacre

Chiang Kai©\shek

George Kennan

Long Telegram

Containment

Nikolai Novikov

Novikov Telegram

Name______________________

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